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The Microsoft Tax Man Cometh, This Time With Even More Worms
Tuesday, November 3, 2009 / Security
The Microsoft/Apple debate has not only been beaten to death, but probably trampled into the depths of hell, the heights of heaven and all the stars in between by now. Let’s face it; there are those that see no value in paying the “Apple Tax,” which is just another way to say they tend to be initially more expensive, and they’re willing to stand by that opinion I think partly to help justify the relatively small savings they perceive Windows machines represent (and it’s a whole ‘nother article to talk about how Macs aren’t really more expensive at all, even when just factoring in trade-in value, a subject that we know quite a bit about. In fact, we recently stopped using the PC trade-in service we were trying from a third-party, I think mostly because PC owners were just plain discouraged when they heard what their PC’s were worth).
I don’t know about you, but the one thing that makes owning and operating a Mac (in addition to using the slickest OS on the planet) is the almost complete lack of security concerns. I just don’t think about the issue at all. Sure, I practice safe habits - like not downloading music from any ol’ website, and doing my holiday shopping at reputable sites - but for the most part, I just don’t worry about it.
Microsoft recently released a security report that makes me cringe: reports of Confickr and Taterf worm infections doubling through the first half of 2009.
What an awful thing - passing Confickr from PC to PC by way of a freaking USB drive. Having your computer for sale as part of a zombie net. Just waiting to see if your machine is going to start spamming all your friends while you’re away (or start eating brains…). Millions and millions of PC users have no idea if their machine is just going to freak out and go belly up one day. I’d be crushed if my MacBook Pro acted like those poor PC’s. Half my life is in this machine.
Computers certainly can make our lives easier - but easier doesn’t always mean safer. Especially with the reception Microsoft Vista has received, there are more PC users running out-of-date security software and simply not being as careful as they may have been years ago. Like when XP was first released.
We’re all sharing more of ourselves online these days thanks to social features being woven into every website - from online review sites to e-commerce. I feel safe sharing on my Mac. I feel safe knowing (almost) all those worms and hackers and malicious rogue/do-no-gooders don’t see the Mac as much of a target.
Maybe it’s because we Mac users are a little more savvy than the average PC user. Maybe it’s because hackers just aren’t writing worms for Macs. Maybe it’s just a safer system. Whatever the case, I’m wondering how many poor souls who saved $150 bucks on a Toshiba will be pawning it for a pre-owned MacBook after enduring one too many of these types of problems.
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:32 pm
I agree with this article up to a point. With every version of windows it gets slower and slower while the hardware requirements get larger. But the same can also be said of the mac osx. With eveery version, you have to have a faster machine, not a problem unless money is an issue. Also remember that not problems with a pc can be attributed to the os, the hardware also has its issues. Since mac went to Intel, how long before we start seeing overheating and overclocking issues? Hard incompatibility issues, etc?
Another isssue is price, PC’s are not just a little cheapre, they are much cheaper than a Mac, but as much as fiofty percent, depending on what requirements you have. Basic Internet computers are cheaper with a Mac, unless you have the spyware and virus problesm.
There is nothing wrong with a Mac, except at the high where the price is, but we all know what Mac users will say, if you can’t afford, you don’t need it.
I have used both macs and Pcs for years and I can say that before osx, mac os 9 and earlier wasn’t all that hot. I had lots of troubles with crashes with an Avid setup under os 9. So the mac is not perfect, but what human built machine is. But don’t tell that to the mac users.
I can tell you after having worked at a community college where we had over a hudnred macs, they would crash under os 9 just as fast as a pc under windows. I do agree however that windows just isn’t up to snuff, which is why I am still on Windows Xp because Vista and now Windows 7 is too unappealing to me.